Each one of us is either a mother, a brother, a sister, a father, or a friend to someone. We have all felt the loss when a relationship or a relation passes from this life to the next. We know the pain, the depression and grief of that loss. (You may wish to insert a personal loss here.) I know and you know it.

Try to imagine the pain of Mary, Jesus’ mother; Peter, his disciple; John, a faithful follower; or even Mary Magdalene, a wretched soul saved by his loving spirit. Can you feel their horror as the hammer came down on that first nail? They heard his cry of anguish and the gasp of the crowd. Then silence as the second nail was snatched from the bucket and the Roman soldier moved to the next hand. The thump came again. Another cry of anguish and another gasp from those watching.

You …